Platform 6-F orchestrates protests on social networks while facing legal action
In the midst of agricultural demonstrations, the 6-F Platform has mobilized supporters across social networks. It plans to pursue legal and criminal avenues over allegations disclosed on Saturday, targeting transporters and farmers gathered near Madrid’s Metropolitan Stadium. The group’s legal adviser, Xaime da Pena, called for the government to step aside from the industry’s main associations—Asaja, COAG, and UPA—to negotiate directly, and he demanded the resignation of Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska. Da Pena asserted that up to 30 riot police officers would be reported and up to 60 individuals could be injured. He warned that human rights violations may lead to a case before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg if necessary.
Platform 6-F fails to topple Madrid’s movement but garners support among transporters
Farmers gathered around the Metropolitan Stadium from 5:00 PM last Saturday, joined by members of the National Platform in Defense of Transportation, a smaller association known for disrupting road distribution in March 2022. The aim was to press for an indefinite halt to transportation activities. By the end of the gathering, some bulk carriers and farmers faced charges by the National Police, and injuries were reported near the scene.
The legal representative for the association described a sense of fatigue after a week of mobilization, noting numerous fines and highlighting the risk of continued road blockades for farmers. He stressed that those who wish to keep blocking roads would face sanctions, underscoring the fragile balance between protest and legal consequences.
The association’s counsel mentioned that several officers who filed criminal complaints on Saturday did not speak Spanish, though further details were not provided. Da Pena suggested a potential meeting later in the week to unify the movement and coordinate a single, large-scale farmer mobilization, while hinting at a possible Madrid demonstration later that afternoon, without offering further specifics.
Police prepare to charge a leading spokesperson from 6-F
Madrid’s National Police Headquarters indicated preparations to file a complaint with the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office to investigate a potential hate crime attributed to a 6-F leader on Saturday, according to police sources.
In a widely circulated video, the leader referred to police as criminals and expressed gratitude for the Intervention Unit that intervened when platform members attempted an unauthorized roadblock on the M-40 near the Metropolitan square. The leader stated that any confrontation with law enforcement could provoke a strong response from citizens and referenced past violent acts by extremist groups as a warning. These statements were described as impassioned, with a later claim that the speaker was reacting emotionally after physical contact with officers. The platform’s legal entity commented that the leader’s rhetoric did not reflect his true stance and that he often shows support for security forces, even if temporarily upset.
Seventh day of protests continues
Spanish farmers marked a seventh day of action on Monday, with tractor-trailers and road closures spreading across the country, including Madrid, where demonstrations remained robust. The 6-F platform outlined an expanded action calendar, while the National Platform in Defense of Transportation, consisting mainly of self-employed workers and small to medium-sized enterprises, persisted with their own ongoing strike aimed at defending similar claims to those of farmers and ranchers.
Protests were felt on several major routes in multiple regions, with road blockages reported on highways and secondary roads alike. In Seville province, traffic was stopped on the A-92 in Arahal and other routes; similar disruptions occurred in Badajoz (N-525 near La Roca de la Sierra and EX-328 near Montijo) and Cáceres (EX-109 in Moraleja). Additional slowdowns appeared in Huesca and Zaragoza, and on the AP-2 toward Barcelona near Soses in Lleida, as well as on the A-43 near Villarrobledo in Albacete. Other blocked corridors appeared in Híjar (Teruel, N-232), Málaga (A-374 near Ronda) and Murcia (access to Cartagena via A30).
Tractors also blocked roads in La Rioja and Navarra, while in Málaga the disruptions affected access to Mercamálaga, the central food market. In Alicante, around fifty farmers blocked the Granadina industrial zone in San Isidro, a key fruit and vegetable distribution hub in the southeast, from 8 PM yesterday to 9 AM today. This ongoing activity reflects a sustained call for action across different agricultural sectors and regional centers.